[Winona Online Democracy] Scott -- I apologize to you and all the staff at the ALC. I really didn't think the kids smoke in the building. I was reacting, as you suspected to the groups of kids down the street every day around noon. I also was commenting on things I had heard from the approach used at the Green House. I am glad to hear about all the work being done to help the students stop smoking and I admit I didn't know and I didn't ask before making my comment. I made an assumption that if groups of underage students are a block down the street smoking at noon during a school day, they are being allowed to smoke. I am sorry that my comment sounded like I believed smoking is allowed in the building or on school property. This makes me wonder how smoking is handled at the High School and if any differences are a motivational factor for a student to ask to be switched to the ALC. Craig Brooks
----- Original Message ---- From: Scott Lowery <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: winona@mnforum.org Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 11:06:31 PM Subject: [Winona] Re: WALC [Winona Online Democracy] Although I agree with much of Craig Brooks' observations, I have to correct some misinformation. The ALC most emphatically does not "allow the students to smoke" and I'm kind of shocked that Craig would say that we do, even conjecturing that we have some faulty rationale for doing so. As with other school programs with an adolescent population, some students smoke off-grounds before and after school. This year, our students have been good about observing our rule that they stay at least a block away from the school if smoking before and after school. We do have a half hour of open campus at lunch, so some of our students can be seen at that time, smoking outside the nearby Kwik Trip or elsewhere in the surrounding neighborhood. Maybe that's where the misconception comes from. We most certainly do not allow any smoking on school grounds. Actually, given the small size of our building, students are much less likely to escape detection if they decide to try to sneak a smoke in school, compared to regular high school programs. We do have a lot of students who are smokers, and it seems that many of them have grown up in households where that's the norm. Staff have many conversations every day with kids about smoking, reminding them of the effects on their lungs and their billfolds, and often we're able to offer encouragement for those trying to quit. We've also had smoking cessation guest speakers, and our teen support counselor provides one-on-one advice and goal-setting around tobacco use and many other issues. Please know that we are working every bit as hard as other education and human service providers to help teens make better decisions with regard to smoking. The more I think about Craig's comment, I find myself discouraged by the way rumors and negative perspectives can be spread in this community. On the other hand, maybe I should look at this as a good opportunity to clear up a misunderstanding. Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 02:41:04 -0800 (PST) From: Craig Brooks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Winona] alc To: winona@mnforum.org Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I thought I heard a WAPS admin. person say that the majority of PSEO use was for the VoTech College. I have not idea how to access that info. except contacting WAPS. I wish more school admin. and Board members were on this listserv. I am on the Comm. Educ. Advisory Committee and I have been hearing about the plan to move much of their operation into the old Big O, where the ALC is, for a long time. So, I wasn't surprised by the news they were going to move and that ALC was going to move. I know some school people did not want the ALC near small kids programs and seemed to want it out of sight because of the bad PR with the kids standing around on the street smoking, etc. So, some of the possibilities considered were rejected for those reasons is my guess. The place planned is by and near one the landlord already leases to the school -- it is called the Greenhouse Program for spec. educ. EBD high school kids. (Greenhouse simply refers to what the property used to be.) In my opinion all the school programs should be smoke free. Kids at ALC and Greenhouse are allowed to smoke and I suspect staff think banning it will cause problems. I have heard that argument regarding adult psych. wards in hospitals and the results of smoking bans has not resulted in problems. -- ------------ sent by: Scott Lowery 461 Sunnyview Drive, Rollingstone MN 55969 home phone: (507)689-4532 school phone: (507)454-9587 (Winona Area Learning Center) home email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] school email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
